Despite Matilda telling her to sleep well, Vivianne couldn’t sleep a wink due to her excitement. Worried that Matilda might be concerned if she didn’t sleep, she kept her eyes tightly shut, pretending to be asleep.

But even while pretending, she couldn’t hide the corners of her mouth that kept turning upward. If Matilda had seen her, she might have thought Vivianne was having a pleasant dream.

Even to herself, she seemed quite simple-minded.

While feeling down about the harsh words from Kian’s fiancée, the immediate reward before her eyes tasted sweeter. What a contrary psychology.

The inside of the moving carriage was quiet. Only the clip-clop of horse hooves could be heard.

Neither Theodore nor Kian showed any expression. It seemed only Vivianne’s heart was fluttering with excitement.

Kian, her favorite man.

Theo, her favorite friend.

From Vivianne’s perspective, this was an outing with her favorite people. If Matilda had joined them, it would have felt more like a family trip, but this combination was good too.

Theodore sat across from her, and Kian sat right beside her. Vivianne looked at both of them alternately with a bright smile.

“Why are you staring like that?”

Kian asked indifferently.

“Because I’m happy.”

She answered honestly, her eyes curving into crescents. Though she had exhausted herself since morning—bathing, dressing, and adorning herself to match the dress—coming outside like this made her feel alive again.

“Theo, isn’t this nice?”

She tried to break the awkward atmosphere.

According to Matilda, the two had been close since childhood, but Vivianne had never seen them converse amicably.

Kian’s poor temperament might explain his behavior, but even the kind Theodore acted the same way, which made her somewhat suspicious.

“Yes.”

Theodore answered briefly and then looked back out the window. Kian didn’t seem to care either.

‘Am I the only one excited again?’

Vivianne, who had tried to lighten the mood, felt somewhat awkward.

“Um, Kian. How do I look today?”

“What?”

“Matilda dressed me up since early morning. It took really long.”

Kian kept his gaze fixed outside the window, not even glancing at her.

“That… date with Kian? Anyway, she said she paid special attention for that.”

“I see.”

Without even looking.

Vivianne felt hurt by Kian’s indifference.

“How do I look?”

“Fine.”

“…You need to look to know.”

She poked her head in front of Kian, who was looking out the window, with an anxious expression.

“What?”

When she kept whining, Kian caught her chin with his long fingers. Her blue eyes widened slightly as they met his black ones.

“I did look.”

Her heart pounded, but she clenched her fists.

“W-well, how do I look?”

Kian, still holding her chin, turned her face this way and that with nonchalance. His expression remained indifferent.

“I don’t like it.”

He’s really mean.

Vivianne held back what she wanted to say and pushed out her lips in a pout.

“What do you think, Theo?”

“What?”

Theodore, sitting across from them, asked in surprise at Kian’s question.

“Vivianne’s face. What do you think?”

He asked without even glancing in Theodore’s direction.

“I… don’t really know.”

“He doesn’t know either, Vivianne.”

Matilda had put so much effort into it. She thought she looked pretty when she saw herself in the mirror.

Does it really not suit her?

“Um, what don’t you like about it?”

Though upset, she wanted to know what he disliked so she could avoid it in the future.

“This.”

Kian, still holding her chin, unhesitatingly pressed his thumb firmly against Vivianne’s lower lip.

“…How?”

Due to his persistent pressure, her pronunciation naturally slurred.

Just when she was feeling self-conscious about the silly sound escaping her lips, Kian’s face drew closer. His lips descended so suddenly that she had no chance to resist.

It wasn’t just a brief kiss. He repeatedly sucked on her lips, his slippery tongue sliding inside her mouth, almost like he was trying to extract something. Receiving such a one-sided kiss made her breathless.

And Theodore was right there. Just like when Matilda was present.

It was incredibly embarrassing.

Instinctively startled, she glanced at Theodore and saw that he was trying hard not to look in their direction.

‘How embarrassing.’

Vivianne’s face instantly turned bright red.

Regardless, the wicked man who had been sucking on her lips pulled away with a smacking sound.

“You should stay still.”

“But…”

Kian wiped Vivianne’s glistening lips with his thumb and smiled mischievously.

“I prefer this. What about you, Theo?”

After treating him almost like he wasn’t there, now he acknowledged him.

“What?”

Theodore seemed somewhat startled by his master’s sudden call.

“How does Vivianne look?”

Vivianne, the person in question, felt so uncomfortable that she wanted to jump out of the carriage.

But Kian, true to form, enjoyed seeing her discomfort.

Theodore could be seen letting out a faint sigh.

“…It suits her well. With you, Master.”

“Really?”

When Theodore reluctantly answered, Kian’s lips curled up in satisfaction.

“Theo says you’re pretty, Vivianne.”

What a mischievous and wicked male. It was such a childish prank. She couldn’t understand why she had to bear all the embarrassment. At times like this, he seemed so immature.

“……”

When she fell silent, Kian looked her up and down, examining her appearance.

“You did well, Matilda.”

Kian kissed her lips lightly once more, then lowered his gaze. His dark eyes lingered on her plunging neckline.

“But that’s not visible.”

“What isn’t?”

“What I gave you.”

What Kian gave her.

…Perhaps, the medal?

Just when she was pondering its identity and feeling a chill run down her spine, his lips twisted.

“Want to climb up? Or lie down?”

“What?”

“Or I’ll do it my way.”

Before she could answer, his lips delved into her neck. Surprised by the sudden attack, Vivianne’s upper body tilted toward the window on the opposite side.

Her gaze automatically turned toward Theodore. He seemed embarrassed by the situation and kept nervously wetting his lower lip.

While she was momentarily distracted by Theodore, Kian’s mischievous lips had already reached the lowest point of her plunging neckline. He was still gauging the position with his lips, looking with concentrated eyes.

“It’s slightly lower than here.”

“…Kian. Stop it. Theo is here.”

“What should we do then? Want me to get rid of him?”

A playful laugh scattered over her chest. Inside a moving carriage. It was absurd.

Vivianne’s face turned pale.

“Theo will be fine.”

Kian became more persistent. Looking to the side, she could see Theodore still fixing his gaze on the window, tightly clenching his fist on his knee.

Kian slightly pulled down the front of Vivianne’s dress with his fingertips, then fixed his lips precisely on the spot where he had left a mark earlier. It was located about a finger’s width above her n*pple. And without hesitation, he began to suck.

“…K-Kian.”

The wet sound of him sucking on her skin echoed faintly inside the carriage.

“You should… stop, sir.”

For a moment, Kian’s lips detached, and his gaze, as he looked up, flashed with something resembling killing intent.

Simultaneously, the carriage gradually slowed down. They seemed to have arrived at their destination.

“Ah, we’ve arrived already?”

“Yes.”

“Lucky you.”

Kian tidied up the front of Vivianne’s dress with his fingertips and sat up. The bruise he had created was about half visible outside her clothing.

Why did he insist on leaving marks in front of Theo?

Vivianne couldn’t raise her head due to an inexplicable sense of shame welling up inside her. Just when her thoughts were becoming as tangled as her hair, the carriage came to a stop.

“Theo.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Take Vivianne inside first. I’ll join you after taking care of some business.”

“Understood.”

When the carriage door opened, Kian got out first.

“It’s an honor to see you, Duke Larson. Have you been well?”

“Thanks to you. Has the Baron been well too?”

Then he blended in with the gentlemen who greeted him, smiling leisurely.

She thought it was supposed to be a date.

He didn’t even look back.

“……”

Watching him from inside the carriage, he seemed like someone from a different world.

“Here.”

While she was staring blankly, Theodore, who had already exited the carriage, extended his hand to Vivianne.

“Shall we go, Vivianne?”

“What?”

“Take my hand. You might fall if you get out alone.”

Come to think of it, when they boarded the carriage earlier, Kian had held her hand. Wearing high heels, she did need a helping hand.

Wondering if Kian might be looking, she glanced at him, but only his black back was visible.

“…Yes.”

Vivianne carefully exited the carriage, holding Theodore’s large hand.

Even though she kept following him with her eyes, Kian never looked back.